


Don't tell me how it's going down

by nivce



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Enemies (kinda) to Lovers, F/F, somewhat canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:47:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26923849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nivce/pseuds/nivce
Summary: Eventually, they must learn to deal with each other.
Relationships: Cinder Fall/Neopolitan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	Don't tell me how it's going down

Making her way through the foggy streets of Mistral, Cinder felt unease ricochet through her body. There was minimal foot traffic. Most people opted to stay inside in such poor weather, especially on this side of the city. It wasn't exactly nice, but given the Maiden's status as a criminal, it would have to do. She was tense, though that would only be detectable to a trained eye. Neo trailed further behind her. She absolutely noticed, someone as quiet as Neo would certainly be observant. Knowing her, she probably found it amusing. Unfortunately, Cinder would now… begrudgingly… call the girl her new associate. It wasn't like she really wanted to. Cinder despised working with others, especially as... _associates_. She would much rather consider the diminutive girl a subordinate. Cinder was a natural leader after all, it would only make sense for Neo to simply be her subordinate.

The Maiden was leading her to her current dwelling, a horribly shabby inn. Of course, Cinder hated staying in places like this. She had many times before, and probably would again. It was an unfortunate necessity. Unsavory places had unsavory customers. The owners would be willing to look the other way, they had many times before. Having money certainly helped, and money was plentiful if you stole.

Neo's presence dampened her already sour mood. Cinder’s face was effortlessly pulled into an expression of slight annoyance. It was certainly not a look she was unaccustomed to, but, as the months went by, seemed to be much more frequent. But there was a significantly more troubling feeling running through her body. She was anxious, and that bothered the Maiden.

First things first, that girl stuck out like a sore thumb. Two toned hair wasn't exactly common, especially in Mistral. It's a very traditional country. Her outfit complimented her strange appearance by being equally as foreign. There was also the way she carried herself, her steps lively and outgoing. She almost seemed carefree and... innocent? Cinder almost wanted to snicker at the thought. This girl, who had just attempted to kill her not even three hours ago, was now pretending as if nothing had ever happened. It was almost as if the Neo was begging to make herself known. Almost ironic, taking her muteness into account. But, Cinder was a criminal and unwanted attention was always a bad thing. She might have been horribly disfigured, but she was still, unmistakably, Cinder Fall. And that was something she needed to hide for as long as possible.

There was also a more alarming factor that came with the girl's presence. Cinder knew Neo still wanted her dead. She wasn't a fool. The Maiden wouldn't gain anything from killing the girl, but the other way around? Neo had much to gain, and this fact worried Cinder. While she may have deterred Neo's blood lust (at least in regards to her), it would inevitably return in full force. Revenge could never really be sated, and Cinder knew that well. Besides, who knew what was going on in that girl’s mind. For all Cinder knew, she could still be looking an opportunity to strike her down when she least expect-

Then she stepped in a very large puddle.

_Of course_ she did.

It was this that snapped Cinder out of her ever roaming thoughts. She paused for a second. Her left foot was now soaked with filthy groundwater. The scowl she had been suppressing made itself present. 

_Fantastic._

Neo had bounced ahead, spring still in her step. The girl had turned around, her face crinkled, wearing a thin smirk. She covered her mouth with a gloved hand, feigning a laugh. Of course, she was completely silent the whole time.

"...Very funny," Cinder growled out. Neo's smile widened, eyes following the Maiden as she stomped towards a nearby building.

Truthfully, the inn was not too different from Lil' Miss Malachites’ bar. The brick wall was similarly cracked and weathered. The door was a dark wood, though not rich or particularly interesting.

Neo inspected the building's exterior briefly and rolled her eyes. It was her first time in lower Mistral, and it was somehow so bland. She missed being in Vale.

Cinder made her way in, not really caring to see if Neo followed. The inside was as unimpressive as the outside. The main lobby was completely deserted. Despite it’s dingy appearance, the inn felt homey… to an extent. This probably had something to do with the warm, yet dim lighting illuminating the space. The furniture was well worn and had certainly seen better days.

At least there wasn't a bar, Cinder thought wryly. A few of the inns she had passed had one. She supposed they needed to attract business somehow, so acting as a tavern would bring revenue. Still, she could do without the noise. The Maiden needed a place that would be bearable for the short term she would be staying. Somewhere quiet was infinitely more appealing.

The Maiden paused, not really for any particular reason, before crossing the lobby and continuing into a hallway. She slinked through the narrow corridor that led to her rented room. The owner was rather antisocial, she assumed. She had only seen him once when she purchased the room. It was at the very end of the hall, the furthest away from his own apartment. Cinder was almost positive he charged her more than he should have. She didn’t press it though, it’s not like it was her money she was spending.

Her steps were quiet, and she steeled herself. Her shoulders were tense, feeling Neo's eyes watching her. She almost felt vulnerable, as if Neo would unsheathe her thin blade and drive it in her at any possible second. The walk to the end of the hall felt as if it spanned an hour. For once, Cinder hated being in the lead. Logically, she could win in a fight against Neo. After all, she was a Maiden. But it was the anticipation that made her feel on edge. Neo was a wild card, Cinder had never really been able to predict what she had planned.

But, they had finally reached her room. Cinder dug into one of the pockets of her robe, the right pocket in particular. She didn’t like using the left arm. At least, not for much. The Maiden fished the key out, and ground it into the lock. It was old, and even slightly rusted. Once again, a testament to the quality of the inn.

Opening the door, Cinder padded inside and turned to face Neo standing in the doorway. After a moment's pause, the girl followed.

The girl surveyed the décor. The room was small, and mostly furnished with wooden fittings. This brought Neo slight amusement, seeing as how Cinder was essentially a walking fire hazard. There was a small fireplace, which looked quite ashy and dirty. Remains of old, charred logs indicated at some point there might have been wood provided to guests. One window, she noted. The curtains were drawn. There was a battered chest of drawers and a thin bed situated beside it. What Neo found interesting was what sat atop the dresser: neatly folded fabrics and sewing supplies.

Cinder had made sure to keep any important belongings on her person instead of leaving them in the room. It wasn’t like she had much in the first place. Not like she intended to be stranded in the streets of lower Mistral. Still, she had to be cautious. Anything that would be missed had to stay with her. She had to be able to pick everything up and leave if it came to it.

Still, Cinder did run out of things to do during the week. She wasn’t too pleased when Lil’ Miss told her to come back, but Cinder had to take what she could get, and unfortunately The Spiders were the best Mistral could offer the Maiden. She had spent nearly every waking moment thinking up every possible scenario that could occur. Well... at least she thought she did, Neo’s return wasn’t _exactly_ expected. After a while, scheming got boring, and the Maiden was never really one to sit still.

Neo was amused by it, and Cinder could tell. Her gaze flicked from the articles to Cinder’s face, cocking an eyebrow. A silent, yet snarky remark on one of Cinder’s only pastimes. _The oh-so great Cinder Fall sewing? How could someone so esteemed lower themselves to such a lowly hobby?_ Neo would certainly love to see it. Sewing seemed so uncharacteristic of her. 

“I’m not wearing these rags out of choice,” Cinder stated, moving her hand to her hip. “Besides, look at yourself. Not exactly the spitting image of class,” she droned.

She could almost hear Watts’ pretentious tone mocking her for wearing something so unruly. He always loved to ridicule for even the smallest of things. Being a snob made that easy she supposed.

It was never something she would admit, but sewing was one of the only skills, besides combat of course, Cinder felt she had truly mastered. It was something she had done as a child, though mostly out of necessity. Mending and patching ragged clothes would eventually evolve into creating opulent and intricate garments. There were many occasions, should Cinder be in her good graces, Salem would reward her with rich fabrics and dust. It was nice, being allowed the luxuries she had been denied all her life.

Neo shrugged, smirk still etched on her face. She didn’t particularly care how she looked. In fact, she had looked much worse before. She crossed the room and sat on the lone bed. Crossing her legs, she looked at Cinder expectantly. She waved her hand, waiting for the Maiden to speak.

“I don’t know what you expect me to say.” The woman tucked an unruly lock behind her unmarred ear. “We leave as soon as possible. Perhaps, using that semblance of yours, we could steal an airship,” a smirk formed on Cinder’s face. She continued, “You disguise it as an Atlesian ship, and the rest is simple.”

Neo’s growing smirk fell for a second, and Cinder was sure to notice.

“ _What’s wrong_ , don’t think you can do it?” Now she adopted her trademark sarcastic tone. Cinder shifted her weight to her other leg, hand still placed on her hip.

Neo shifted uncomfortably on the bed before raising her hands, flashing a series of gestures at Cinder. She abruptly stopped when she caught the Maiden’s perplexed expression. Dishearteningly, she lowered them with a sullen sigh and instead fished out her scroll and began typing.

Neo held the scroll out and it slightly illuminated the room. 

_That might be too much for me_

Cinder narrowed her eye and her tone became sharp. “You _will_ try. You disguised yourself long enough during the Vytal festival, didn’t you? How is this any different?”

The girl raised her brows in shock and a burst of irritation filled her. She had forgotten how unpleasant it was to work with Cinder. Once again, she was typing, though this time much quicker.

_That's not the same thing! Transforming myself and a large, complicated machine are 2 completely different things!!_

“Hmm… Well,” Cinder paused, shifting her gaze upwards, bluffing contemplation. “As I said, you’ve gotten stronger. Unless you have a better idea, how else do you propose we get to Atlas then?" She would make it to Atlas. She _had_ to make it to Atlas.

That was true, Neo mused. She hadn’t _technically_ tried anything that complicated yet. And... she didn't particularly have any other ideas. The girl let out a huff and fell backwards onto the bed, deciding she was done with the conversation. 

Cinder must have felt similar. She didn’t make any comment on Neo’s disengagement and walked off somewhere, leaving the girl’s field of vision.

Suddenly Neo felt incredibly fatigued. _Today was a bit too long_ , she thought to herself dryly. She had learned so much, and this new knowledge was certainly sinking in. Everything she had once believed was now flipped on its head. To be honest, it did kind of scare her. Neo had never been one for superstitions and wasn't particularly religious, but it was impossible to refute what Cinder had told her. She rolled onto her side, not really wanting to deal with it at the moment. The girl elicited a shiver. It was at this point she realized how cold the room was. And dark. It would be a bit hard to think when exhaustion and chills wracked her body. She sat up and attempted to scan the room for Cinder. It took a few moments, but she did manage to locate her in the darkness. The woman was leaning back in a chair, and appeared to be staring out into space. _How annoying._

Neo, once again, pulled her scroll out. She rolled her eyes. She absolutely hated having to communicate like this, it was _so_ annoying! Seriously, how hard was it to put even just a little effort in. It was a subtle reminder of the woman's importance, that only Roman had cared to learn sign language for her. The thought burned dully in the back of her mind, but her current discomfort was a bit more important.

Cinder had only been seated for a few minutes, but was already lost in thought. She noticed after Beacon she began to do that a lot more. It was never really about anything in particular. Usually it was just a jumble of many thoughts scattered haphazardly. Currently her mind had wandered to her newest goal: reclaiming the relic and her anxieties surrounding it. She needed to discuss and refine the plan with Neo, though she didn't really feel like doing so at the moment.

Then a sharp snap broke the silence.

The sound vexed the woman. Snapping had been a habit she picked up at one point too. Still, it felt incredibly degrading. She bristled with annoyance. Cinder was _not_ like Emerald, she deserved respect. At first she ignored it, staying planted in her seat, arms now crossed and shoulders hunched slightly. Then came the tapping which, became just as irritating.

Cinder was met with the light of a scroll as her head flicked in the direction of the sound. Of course she couldn’t read it from where she was sitting. Letting out an inaudible grunt, the Maiden rose from the chair and made her way towards the bed.

As she approached, the words became legible.

The dark haired woman stopped in her tracks.

_Make me a fire._

Not a question or a suggestion, but a command. If the snap had annoyed Cinder, this had made her furious. She would not be told what to do and Neo would know this.

Cinder crossed her arms. “You will not be ordering me around, _girl_.” Her eye shimmered dangerously. “First you snap at me like I’m some sort of animal, then you think you can give me commands? I do not take orders. Do I need you to remind you of who’s in charge here?”

Neo seemed completely unbothered, responding only by pushing the scroll towards Cinder.

“No, I will not,” the Maiden growled out.

Pink became brown as Neo’s eyes shifted colors. She rose from the bed, her joints aching. The girl almost raised her hands to sign again, but instead redirected the action to furiously typing on her scroll.

_Yeah? You need me. Make me a fire. I. Am. Cold._

The scroll was all but shoved in the woman’s face at this point.

Cinder scowled before turning on her heel, reluctantly making her way towards the fireplace. She was furious and it was very apparent. Still... Neo was right. Cinder needed someone to kill Ruby. At this point, she didn’t know who else she could coerce into doing the deed. It pained her to do so, but she would unfortunately have to swallow her pride. Just this once, she reminded herself. She would have plenty of time to put Neo in her place.

Before the girl knew it, there was now a flame flickering in the fireplace. Neo wasn’t sure how she did it, seeing as there wasn’t really anything to start a fire with, but she decided not to question it. After all, these Maiden powers were incredible, they were practically magic. Honestly, the girl was surprised that she managed to force Cinder’s hand at all.

Still, the Maiden was boiling. She all but slammed the door, leaving the room almost just as quickly as she started the fire. Neo shrugged to herself and a smile formed on her face. Cinder being this angry certainly was a rare, yet extremely amusing sight. Neo couldn’t remember seeing Cinder lose her cool even once. Then again, a lot had changed since then, it had probably been a year or so since she last saw the woman.

Cinder had certainly _fallen_ from glory. Neo shook with silent laughter at her own horrible joke. Her childish smile eventually faltered as her mind continued down her previous train of thought.

Neo was shocked to see Cinder looking the way she did. While she wasn’t exactly sure what happened at Beacon, it must have been something awful. It was hard to say, the girl couldn’t really examine the full scope of injuries the woman sustained. Cinder would not let her near her, always standing at a distance and certain to keep her left away from the thief. Neo wouldn’t push it, she had no reason to. Still, there was a part of her that was a bit curious. _Must have something to do with Ruby_ , she mused. It was the logical conclusion. While Neo had only worked briefly with the Maiden, she knew that Ruby was originally only a slight roadblock in Cinder’s plan. There had to be a reason she wanted her dead, after all. Neo worked well enough with Cinder then, but only because Roman wanted her to. _Purely_ business.

_Of course Roman wanted her to. And for what? He still turned up dead._

Neo hated thinking of the past, but it was hard to stop once she started. She felt her face get hot as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. Though the memories were painful, she didn’t _want_ to forget them. Eventually, everything would be forgotten. Neo would fight that for as long as she could so that one day, she could think of the past and only feel sentimental. She was tired of the pain. Neo _needed_ revenge. She needed to right the wrong. Roman’s death was unjust, he didn’t deserve to die like that. He was only doing what he felt was necessary. He was only trying to protect himself. Neo would never be able to be happy until she made sure Ruby reaped what she sow.

Silent and bitter anger ran through her system. Neo was livid. She _hated_ Ruby, and she _hated_ Cinder. First she would kill Little Red, then she would kill the Maiden. Maybe she could find a way to kill two birds with one stone. Let Cinder and Ruby fight until they’re exhausted, then go in for the kill. That would surely be entertaining. They would pay for what they did. She clenched her gloved hand. Neo didn’t care if she died trying, she would get revenge. After all… the one person she truly cared for was now dead.

_And he was the only person to care for her._

Thoughts of her childhood threatened her mind, but she quickly suppressed the memories. _Those_ she could stand to forget.

Neo now realized she was standing in the middle of the room, now looking at the floor. Her vision was misty and hot tear rolled down her cheek, falling to the hardwood below. Wiping her eyes, she decided to let fatigue take hold of her instead of wallowing in her misery.

The girl removed her shoes and placed Hush against the wall. Gingerly, she removed Torchwick’s hat. Neo stared at it reverently, finding herself lost in the memories once again running through her head. She let out a repressed sigh, not even realizing she had been holding her breath. Her blood was icy and her body felt heavy as gravity almost seemed to work against her. She snapped herself away, feeling her stomach ball up. Delicately, she placed the hat atop the chest of drawers. Though she made sure not to move any of Cinder’s items, lest she blow up at her again.

Quickly, she removed the rest of her clothing. Leaving herself only in her undergarments. It was slightly uncomfortable, knowing Cinder would inevitably return. At this point though, she didn’t care what the Maiden thought.

Neo climbed into the nearby bed. Though the sheets were a little uncomfortable and the mattress thin, she was still grateful. Cinder might have been a _bitch_ about it, but the fire was doing wonders for her. She nuzzled into the blankets, the feeling of sorrow still licking at the corners of her mind. However, she was simply too exhausted to care now. The warmth had her eyelids drooping as she fell into sleep’s embrace.

* * *

Cinder stormed out of the room and down the dim foyer. She didn’t care how loud she slammed the door. She didn’t care if it burst off the hinges. The Maiden knew there was no one in this sorry place anyways.

She was outside now, streets still empty.

It was nighttime now. The stars were just barely visible in the sky, the remnants of the fog from earlier still lingering in the atmosphere. Usually one wouldn’t dare walk lower Mistral at night, but Cinder simply did not care. She was the threat, not some worthless street thug. Besides, she was already well aware of the dangers this side of the city.

Cinder, still fuming, began to walk aimlessly down the dirt streets. There was a nip in the still air, but it didn't remotely bother her. The Maiden stopped feeling cold ever since she killed Amber.

She had never been so disrespected in all her life. Well… at least not within the past few years. There was nothing she could do about it either. Watts and Tyrian were mildly annoying, but Salem always had a watchful eye over the two so they never seemed to cross the line too far. Emerald and Mercury knew better.

Sure, Cinder might need Neo, but perhaps she could find a way to meet up with Emerald again. The girl was always loyal to her. The Maiden knew she didn’t care about Salem’s plans, but would follow Cinder to hell and back. She had always been easy to read. _Of course,_ she had to be with Neo instead. Emerald might have occasionally forgotten her place, but those were merely slip ups. Not at all like Neo’s audacious attitude.

_No, the chances that I would find Emerald are slim to none. At least, not at the moment…_ Cinder’s brow furrowed. _Mercury and Emerald… they are probably at home. If Salem wanted me back… she would have come for me by now._ It hurt to think about, that Salem did not want Cinder back. All the more reason she needed to get to Atlas.

Cinder’s knuckles turned white as she tightened her fists. Her brisk walk came to an abrupt stop as she closed her eye, jaw clenching.

“This is my only option”, the Maiden sighed, commenting to no one in particular.

She hated that she would eventually have to return to that inn and play nice with Neo. If she could do this alone, she would. But that just wasn’t an option for her at this point.

Still, even through her anger she felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl. It was odd.

They both had a reason to kill Ruby, and that’s all that mattered. The Maiden would deal with her inevitable backstabbing when it came.

_That’s right. I’m stronger than her._

She had to remind herself of this occasionally. Especially after Beacon. More often than not she felt weak, but the warmth flowing through her veins would tell her otherwise. Before, she had Salem to tell her this. Now, Cinder was alone.

She recalled being younger, when Salem first took her under her wing. Her harsh reprimands were still audible in her mind. And it was because she was weak. Something as unimportant as this should not have upset her. Yet it did.

_It was weakness._

The world was bitter and harsh. Cinder remembered when she was just a girl. She remembered the blossoming bruises that once painted her skin like a canvas. She remembered what it was like to be weak.

_I will not be weak._

And it was at this point she became oddly aware of the cold air around her. It was disturbingly quiet and the fractured moon illuminated the narrow streets. She looked up to it, feeling familiarity in its presence. The moonlight shone off the woman’s face and made her appear paler than ever.

* * *

Cinder had returned to the inn, only to be greeted with Neo sleeping soundlessly. She looked small and vulnerable to the taller woman. It was vaguely interesting to her. Cinder wondered for a brief second if she looked the same while asleep. Though she knew this couldn't be true, the woman couldn’t remember the last time she slept uninterrupted.

Her eyes flicked around the room, searching for any changes. There were very few. Some of Neo’s belongings were scattered here and there, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Instinct tugged at Cinder as she felt the urge to straighten up the room a bit. She frowned deeply at the impulse, thinking she had managed to bury such thoughts.

The woman was still tense. She would certainly not be getting any sleep tonight. Neo still hadn’t gained her trust. Besides, there was really nowhere to sleep.

Still, she decided she should at least make herself comfortable. The ashy haired woman removed her shoes and most of her outerwear. She had even briefly forgotten that she stepped in a puddle several hours ago. Cinder rolled her socks off when the memory hit. She was left wearing the plain, but matching, white shirt and pants. The bandages still clung to her Grimm arm, and she wouldn’t dare take them off. Cinder kept the shawl on, pulling it tighter around her neck. Adjusting it had become a new habit of hers.

_Destiny was a fickle thing._

Sure, she had failed at Haven, but things were starting to look up again. Neo had a fantastic semblance. It was almost funny how people with illusory semblances just seemed to fall into her lap. First Emerald, and now Neo. Things were going to be much easier now that she had that girl.

Cinder grunted as she lowered herself back into the chair she had previously sitting in. Neo, of course, graciously took the bed for herself. The fire was still burning and she watched it, feeling comfortable in the steady movements of the flame.

Cinder’s body still ached. She wasn’t completely positive she had recovered from falling hundreds of feet in a block of ice. She’s dealt with much worse, so why was this different…? Cinder didn’t quite enjoy having to reflect on her failure of Haven. Really, she intended to avoid thinking about it as much as possible. Though for some reason, Cinder just couldn’t shake Raven’s words from them. _You turned yourself into a monster just for power._ The disgust and pity in the Spring Maiden’s voice bothered her even now.

At the time it didn’t affect her so much, but the words had since sunk deep. It was at this point she felt her left arm prickle and burn underneath the bandages. Honestly, Cinder didn’t spend much time observing the _thing_. Still… something felt increasingly off about it. The burning had become near constant.

Her good hand hovered over the bicep of the arm. Fingers lightly brushing it, Cinder could feel the cold emanating through the bandages. Even without direct contact, Cinder could feel the arm sucking away any nearby heat. She flexed the- _her_ claws. The movement still felt odd. Surely with time and experience things will get better. She reminded her of Salem's words, she had to make it dread her. Staring at the claws, she pulled the hand into a tight fist.

_This was necessary. This is what it would take to be strong._

Neo must have moved, as the sound of shuffling sheets filled the once silent room. Jolting slightly, Cinder instinctively moved to hide her arm from view. 

_Could she be awake?_

Cinder turned to look towards the bed and indeed, she was. Bicolor eyes peered from beneath the bedsheets, staring at Cinder. How long had she been awake and why was she staring at her? _Had Neo seen her arm? No, she couldn’t have. Not from that angle anyways. Though… there was always a possibility she did._ It didn’t take a trained eye to realize there was something inhuman underneath the layers of bandages. 

Cinder stared back for a moment before finding it uncomfortable. Wordlessly, she turned away, deciding not to let it phase her. Still, a part of her bubbled with anxiety. 

_What is her goal here…? What could she possibly want?_ The answer was obvious, though not important. At least, not right now. Getting to Atlas and securing the relic was paramount.

Though Cinder turned away, she did not take her attention off of Neo. The floorboards began to creak and light footsteps could be heard. She must have gotten out of bed. Neo was walking towards her. Cinder balled her fists, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Still, she did not dare look at Neo. She must not betray any emotion. Cinder could not bear to be vulnerable. The skin the Grimm arm attached to began to burn fiercely.

But nothing ever came. In fact, Neo walked right by her. Confusion filled Cinder. _What else could she possibly be doing?_ She decided to steal a look when she felt confident that Neo’s back was to her. 

Cinder was a bit shocked to see her nearly completely undressed. She had never seen someone that exposed before. It was… a bit strange, especially in the company of an enemy. And-

_Oh._

_There was also the bathroom._

Cinder mentally slapped herself.

_Of course. She had to go to the bathroom. I'm overthinking this, how typical._

At this point, Cinder had looked away. The door to the bathroom shut behind Neo and a few minutes later she reemerged. Once again, she was watching Cinder. There was no malevolence in her gaze, only mild curiosity. Cinder did not look back and continued to mindlessly observe the fire. She could feel the girl’s stare.

“ _Why_ …” Cinder paused before continuing. “Please explain to me, why are you so… _undressed_?” She turned to look at Neo, annoyance visible on her face. It was probably in her best interest to not ask, but Cinder felt strangely compelled to.

Her underwear was completely black, though she tried not to pay attention to that.

Neo’s curious expression shifted to a cheeky one. Whether or not she noticed the woman’s fleeting glances was not apparent. Neo didn’t expect her to even react to this. She gestured towards the woman, attempting to highlight her state of undress.

Cinder rolled her eye. “Neo, I’m still completely clothed. The same could not be said for _you_.” She folded her arms, mostly to shift her Grimm one out of view.

The girl covered her mouth and silently laughed as if to mock Cinder. She rolled her eyes and walked towards the other woman slowly. Neo knew undressing would be uncomfortable, though she imagined it more so for herself. Cinder was very clearly sheepish about all of this, which was just so incredibly amusing to the girl. As she neared closer, she thumbed at her bra straps and slowly tugged them downwards.

Cinder’s eyebrow shot up and she reeled back slightly. “ _What do you think you’re doing?!_ ”

Neo then sharply backed up, a wicked smile growing on her face as she quickly snapped her straps back up. She nearly doubled over in silent laughter. This only served to annoy Cinder even further.

“Is this some kind of a game to you?” she growled out. Cinder quickly returned to her typical demeanor, though now a bit soured. Neo continued to laugh even harder. Once again, Cinder rolled her eye but did not look away. Instead, she just watched the girl completely unamused.

Finally, Neo finished laughing, wiped her eyes, and shrugged. Suddenly, she decided she was done with the entire exchange. Cinder supposed she got bored of it. She waved her hand and strolled back over to the bed, once again burying herself underneath the covers.

A few moments passed. Cinder extinguished the fire using only her powers. Now only moonlight illuminated the room, filtering through the thin curtains adorning the window. She supposed it would be enough. Cinder did not want to be alone in the dark with Neo. Though now she did not find herself as worried about whatever the girl may do. Instead she just found herself annoyed. She couldn’t wait to get this entire thing over with.

“We will leave tomorrow.”

There was no response save for the rustling of sheets.

Cinder crossed her legs and let out a silent sigh.

_Tonight would be long._

**Author's Note:**

> YESSS this has been sitting on my google drive for like... several months and i really really wanted to finish this chapter since i am getting some actual inspiration the more i think about these two -___- anyways, i LOVE spicecream it is my favorite RWBY ship and the lack of any content makes me SOOO SAD. so yeah....... if you want something done just do it yourself i guess -___-
> 
> i'm not sure how much i want to divert from canon with this, i really just want to write about their relationship in a very canon compliant way. i mean... we'll just have to see what happens with v8 :/
> 
> i love to think of their relationship as them just really being annoyed with each other while neo specifically tries to get on cinder's nerves as much as possible. because like... wtf can she do about it. its just soo funny
> 
> also.......... i'm horrible at summaries and titles so take that as you will.


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